Swedish Match used not to feature much in international tobacco control discussions—it supplied the Swedish market with its oral tobacco (snus) products, and that, it seemed, was only a matter of concern for Swedish colleagues. But in recent years, as cigarette manufacturers have been hurling themselves ever more forcefully into the great scramble for the developing world, Swedish Match has been going international too. For example, realising that India was the world’s largest oral tobacco market, it launched its Click brand there (see Gupta PC. India: Swedish Match steps in. Tobacco Control 2001;10:307). Recently, it has been seen in action, and controversy, in several more overseas markets.

When British American Tobacco (BAT) caused a stir earlier this year by announcing it was launching an oral tobacco product in South Africa, few outside the country realised there was much of a snuff market there. In fact, it has been around for some time, and Swedish Match became the second largest producer in 1999, when it acquired a local manufacturer. Its Taxi brand is the country’s top seller, and Swedish Match also markets a brand called Tobaccorette. …